1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microsoft has announced a plan to support an extended markup language (XML) paper specification (XPS) which is a new XML-based document format by Windows Vista® (“XML Paper Specification: Overview” [search results as of Feb. 15, 2008], <URL: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/default.mspx>). An XPS document has a document format including three hierarchical levels called FixedDocumentSequence, FixedDocument, and FixedPage. XML documents containing print attributes referred to as print tickets, can be associated with nodes of each hierarchical level. (“Print Ticket and Print Capabilities Support in Windows Printer Drivers”, [search results as of Feb. 15, 2008], <URL: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/print/XPSDrv_PrintTicket.mspx(XPSDrv—PrintTicket.doc)>). A job-level print ticket is associated with FixedDocumentSequence. Further, a document-level print ticket is associated with FixedDocument1. Further, a page-level print ticket is associated with FixedPage1.
Since the print ticket can be specified for each node of each hierarchical level, an XPS document can change, for example, an output size for each FixedPage, or stapling setting for each FixedDocument. As mentioned in “XML Paper Specification: Overview”, the XPS document has an aspect of a print spooler format used during printing, and another aspect of an ordinary document. Regarding the document aspect, the XPS document can be used as a document format for publishing and distributing various documents, in the same manner as a page description format (PDF) file. As described above, the XPS document can retain a print ticket for each node of the hierarchical levels, and as a result, it is possible to create and distribute XPS documents associated with print attributes.
Further, the XPS document includes an exception setting function which allows a user to specify different print attribute settings for each page in addition to print attribute settings for an entire job. For example, in a case where a user creates a document including a plurality of sections, the user may desire to use colored paper for first pages of the sections and white paper for the rest of the pages. In such a case, the user makes a setting to use white paper for the entire job and use colored paper only for the first page of each section, that is different from the print attribute settings for the entire job. Specifying the different print attribute settings is not limited to a paper type (color) to be used. There are cases in which a user may desire other kinds of setting, for example, a paper size, one-sided/two-sided printing, finishing, and color settings, for a specific page or a range of pages to be different from the print attribute settings of the entire job. (Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-110638 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-250606).
When different print attribute settings are set for each page in a printer driver or an application, following procedures are often used.    1. A tab sheet or a dialog used to set page exceptions is opened to specify a page or a page range and create a partition,    2. Print attributes are specified for the partition in a lower-level dialog.
Further, in a printer driver, a print template function is installed which exports and applies “favorite” print attributes to other documents. With regard to a printing method such as a DEVMODE printing and a job definition format (JDF) printing which can output print attribute settings for the entire job together with the exception setting in one file, the print template function can be realized such that the print attributes are exported as one file, stored in a printer driver, and applied to a target document in such printing methods.
However, in a case of printing an XPS document, since the print attributes are associated with each of the hierarchical levels, the print attributes are output as a plurality of files if they are directly exported. Further, it is difficult to identify the page which the print attribute is associated with, so that the print template function cannot be realized.